The Fetus
Director: Joe Lam
Starring: Bill Moseley, Lauren LaVera, Julian Curtis, Amy Arena, Evan Towell, Holly Heiser, Ariel Yasmine
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Runtime: 84 minutes
Joe Lam's The Fetus brings together horror royalty in Bill Moseley and Lauren LaVera for a low-budget romp through the perils of pregnancy, genetics, and family struggles. Running it at a lean eighty-four minutes, the film doesn't waste a lot of time getting to the core of the story. Casual couple Alessa (LaVera) and Chris (Curtis) struggle to come to terms with Alessa's rapid pregnancy. Things take an even stranger turn when they visit her estranged, blind father Maddox (Moseley) and learn the truth about their unborn child - a fetus that happens to be a demonic entity, emerging from the body to feed on unsuspecting victims before crawling back from whence it came. But Maddox is hiding an even darker secret in the bowels (and under the floor) of his home in the woods.
"We’re immediately positioned to expect that something is awry - and probably going to get crazy - so if you go in with that mindset, you’ll have a better time than if you’re expecting anything more high-brow."
The Fetus is an intriguing watch, mixing solid performances from LaVera and Moseley (the latter clearly having a blast) with some impressive visual effects that afford the film a real scrappy B-movie vibe. The story is irreverent, messy, and rather thin with the script following suit, but the performances from the game cast help to elevate the material. It's a testament to director Joe Lam that he was able to secure Moseley and LaVera for his feature directorial debut, and without them, the film wouldn't have held together nearly as well.
Now, that's not to say anything in the film should be taken seriously. In the opening stages, The Fetus sets out its stall and tone and informs the audience that they are in for a ride, whether they like it or not. The dynamic between Alessa and Chris is laid out early, with breadcrumbs suggesting Alessa had a very different upbringing, whilst making it abundantly clear that Chris is a total douche (though his arc from douche to daddy is fun to watch). We’re immediately positioned to expect that something is awry - and probably going to get crazy - so if you go in with that mindset, you’ll have a better time than if you’re expecting anything more high-brow. That said, the early commentary on agency, the female body, and emotional and societal pressure is a welcome addition, though it doesn't permeate much after the first act.
Given the low-budget and hands-on approach from the team involved, the effects throughout are surprisingly decent. The practical effects used to bring the bloodthirsty fetus (including their umbilical cord/chain) were well done, as were the majority of the injury and gore sequences throughout. There were a few misses sprinkled in and some of the CGI was a little too noticeable, but overall, the team showed some real promise here.
The Fetus is, at times, an absurd horror-comedy with some good laughs thrown in and some...strange visuals, but it holds up enough to be an entertaining watch - mainly down to it's short runtime helping ensure it doesn't overstay its welcome. Though things begin to fall apart somewhat in the final act, the film ends in a satisfying way and hints at the potential for further stories with this premise. Whilst it's not perfect by any means, The Fetus is lean, a bit mean, and pretty fun - and worth checking out for LaVera's all-in performance and Moseley's funky turn.
February 23rd 2026